Phoebe Philo Sees Brand Changes For Celine

Though Phoebe Philo's first collection for Celine only arrived in international stores last week, she has a ton of changes up her sleeve for the company. The former head designer of Chloé joined the house of Celine in September 2008. "By giving Philo Celine, we’re giving her a platform to express her vision," said Pierre-Yves Roussel, CEO of LVMH's fashion division, owner of Celine.

This past year, Celine closed more than a few stand-alone stores, but the brand plans on opening a new boutique concept early in the new year.

"There are certain stores that are not adapted to the way we see the brand today, the product today and the consumer who will aspire to it," Marco Gobbetti, chief executive officer of Celine told WWD. He also revealed that at least 10 locations will be brought in line with Philo's design vision over the coming year.

The label's Rue de Rennes unit on Paris' Left Bank will be closed early in the coming months, with plans for it to be replaced by an Avenue Montaigne flagship soon after.

"I know that we can grow very quickly. The response has been tremendous," Gobbetti said. "This has the potential to become a much bigger brand than it is today - and rapidly. I'm very optimistic."

To compensate for the closures, the label has also added several department stores to its stockist list, including Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in the US, and the UK's Dover Street Market.